GAFCON missionary bishop named

A new bishop is to be appointed to cater for disaffected Anglicans in Scotland, England and across Europe.

GAFCON, a worldwide group of conservative Anglicans, has named English based Rev Canon Andy Lines as a missionary bishop.

He will be consecrated by the Anglican Church in North America at a service in June.

GAFCON says although the Anglican Church in North America is the consecrating Province, this is an initiative of the wider Anglican Communion.

Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh, moments after the Episcopal Church voted to move forward in redefining marriage from being between a man and a woman, Most Rev Dr Foley Beach, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America said: "I consider it an honor to serve the Scots in this way. After the American revolution in the United States, the Anglican leaders in England would not consecrate bishops for the newly formed Anglican Church in the United States. It was Scotland who came to our rescue and consecrated our first bishop, Samuel Seabury.

"It is Providential that we in North America are now able to honor our Scottish heritage by providing a bishop for the faithful in Scotland.

"It is my hope that the missionary bishop will lead an effort to plant dynamic churches all over Scotland which are Jesus-centered, practicing the teaching of the Bible, and holding to the long-standing tradition of the Anglican Faith."

The appointment of the bishop, which hasn't been done with the blessing of the Anglican church groups in the UK, is expected to be condemned by senior church officials.

While it's unclear what will follow this appointment, a similar move in the USA in the 2000's led to a formal split in the US Episcopal Church.